A search for oil offshore has moved drilling activity further and further out to sea into deeper and deeper water. Activities are now being carried on, such as the placement of pipeline risers and pipeline repairs at depths which exceed the safe level of operation of divers. In order to operate at such extensive depths, the utilization of a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) has become more and more common. An ROV is a propeller driven, fully remotely operable underwater vehicle utilizing TV cameras for eyes and having gripping arms and hydraulic power connections. The ROV can be completely controlled from a surface vessel and thus offers the tremendous advantage of avoiding the endangerment of human life. Of course, as the use of the ROV has increased, the need for adapting previous diver type functions to diverless functions has grown. One area now in need of diverless operation is the repair and connection of oil and gas pipelines at extensive depths.
In the past, the repair of pipelines has been a diver task. One known type of repair utilizing divers includes the preparation of a repair spool on a ship, perhaps including a pipe length compensator, with the repair spool having end connections which use pivotal ball flange connectors which are known in the art. The advantage of such pivotal ball connectors is the allowance of the connection of the repair spool such as between the ends of a resected pipeline without requiring exact alignment.
One attempt to design a diverless underwater connector for use at extensive water depth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,285 of the same inventor herein and entitled Articulated Ball Connector For Use With Pipeline. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,285 the male member of the connector includes a movable collar mounted over the spherical male end; the collar is movable to various positions by utilization of hydraulic cylinders. In this manner, the movable collar may be aligned with the female end of the connector attached to the other flowline and thereafter a hydraulic locking connection is made utilizing an axially movable wedge which moves against a locking ring.
In spite of the teachings of this patent and other attempts, the problems of making initial contact between a repair spool and at least one end of the flowline being repaired or otherwise connected to is believed to still exist. For example, the problem of alignment utilizing remote control mechanisms is one area that continues to need improvement. Therefore, it is believed that the search for a workable, fully alignable and lockable diverless connector has continued.